Envelope type package with cover and removable disclosure sheet



Feb. 5, 1963 1.. 1. VOLCKENING 3,

ENVELOPE TYPE PACKAGE WITH COVER AND REMOVABLE DISCLOSURE SHEET Filed June 22, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet l i 2 2 11 wi /2 M 7 /7 TTOE/VE) Feb. 5, 1963 1. VOLCKENING 3,076,541

ENVELOPE TYPE PACKAGE WITH COVER AND REMOVABLE DISCLOSURE SHEET Filed June 22', 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

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M w 4 rraemsv Feb. 5, 1963 l. VOLCKENING 3,076,541

ENVELOPE TYPE PACKAGE WITH COVER AND REMOVABLE DISCLOSURE SHEET 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 22, 1962 INVENTOR.

Feb. 5, 1963 L. 1. VOLCKENING 3,076,541

ENVELOPE TYPE PACKAGE WITH COVER AND REMOVABLE DISCLOSURE SHEET Filed June 22, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 V 9 INVENTOR Feb. 1963 VOLCKENING 3,076,541

ENVEL TYPE PACKAGE WITH COVER AND REMOVABLE DISCLOSURE SHEET Filed June 22, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 E 2 INVENTOIR A 77012 NE Y Feb. 5, 1963 L. VOLCKENING ENVELOPE TYPE PACKAGE WITH COVER AND REMOVABLE DISCLOSURE SHEET 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 22, 1962.

' INVENTOR. jc/Hzzin United States Patent 3,076,541 ENVELOPE TYPE PACKAGE WITH COVER AND REMDVABLE DISCLOSURE SHEET Lloyd I. Volckening, Glen Ridge, N.J., assignor to Ivers- Lee Company, Newark, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 22, 1962, Ser. No. 204,576 Claims. (Cl. 206-47) This invention relates to packages of the type that include .a flat commodity container for small articles such as tablets or for liquids, powder or paste, and a cover folded around and secured to the container, and more particularly, the invention relates to packages of the type shown in Patent No. 2,457,924 dated January 4, 1949 wherein the cover comprises a sheet of material having one end portion folded around one end of the container and sealed to the container in a zone adjacent the fold with a marginal portion of the cover beyond the fold and another body portion of the cover juxtaposed to one side of the container and folded around the other end of the container to form a closure flap that is of a size to cover the side of the container opposite the body portion of the cover and has its edge releasably tucked between said marginal end portion of the cover and said container so that the closure flap is held against unfolding but can be pulled from beneath said marginal portion and unfolded to open the package.

In many cases, it is desirable that there be included in such packages a disclosure of the nature of the contents of the package or directions for the use of said contents, and heretofore such disclosures usually have been in the form of printed matter applied directly to the cover. Depending upon the contents of the package, and especially when the package is in the form of a pharmaceutical preparation, many times it is desirable that the disclosure be removable or separable from the package, for example, by a doctor when the package contents are handed to the patient, without destruction of or damage to the package.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a package of this general nature which shall embody novel and improved features of construction whereby a sheet bearing information as to the nature of the contents of the package or directions for use of said contents may be embodied in or securely attached to the package but can be easily and quickly entirely separated or detached from the package without damage to the package.

A further object is to provide such a package wherein the disclosure sheet is initially secured against unintentional separation from the package in .and by the fold of the cover sheet, but can be easily and quickly pulled from the package.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a complete package with the closure flap in initially closed condition and the disclosure sheet secured in its normal position within the package;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the cover of the package in partially folded condition;

FIGURE 3 is a detached perspective view of one type of bag, envelope, or container associated with the cover, and a folded disclosure or direction sheet showing the manner of associating the disclosure sheet with the container;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the package as shown in FIGURE 1 with the cover flap in open position and showing the disclosure sheet within the package;

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FIGURE 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on the plane of the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a similar view on the plane of the line 6--6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing another form of the cover;

FIGURE 8 is .a view similar to FIGURE 4 of the package including the cover shown in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a transverse sectional view on the plane of the line 9-9 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a View similar to FIGURE 4 showing another form of the invention;

FIGURE 11 is a transverse sectional view on the plane of the line 1111 of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing another form of the invention;

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of a complete package including the cover shown in FIGURE 12 with the closure flap in initially closed position and the disclosure sheet secured in its normal position within the package; and

FIGURE 14 is a view similar to FIGURE 13 but showing portions of the container-attaching flap torn away and the disclosure sheet partially removed from the package.

For the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, the container A is shown as comprising two layers 1 and 2 of suitable flexible material such as cellophane, Pliofilm, metallic foil, paper or the like. The said material may be thermoplastic itself or may have a thermoplastic or fusible coating so that the juxtaposed layers can be caused to adhere together by application of heat and pressure, or the layers could be sealed together with an adhesive. As shown, the layers are heat sealed and crimped in zones 3 forming and bounding compartments 4 between the layers in which a commodity such as tablets 5 are enclosed, the container thus comprising a sheet of packages, each containing a tablet and being separable from the sheet along scored lines 6; and the sheet preferably has an edge portion 7 extending beyond the package and being initially unsealed. Of course, where the package is used for packaging powders or other fluent materials, the sheets 1 and 2 may be sealed together to provide a single compartment for the material having a restricted discharge neck portion, which is known in the art.

The cover B comprises a single strip of sheet material such as heavy paper that is relatively stiffer than the layers of which the container A is formed and includes a body portion 8 juxtaposed to one side of the container and folded at 9 around the edge portion 7 of the container to form a container-attaching flap 10 that is secured adjacent the fold to the container A, for example, by application of heat and pressure where the layers 1 and 2 are thermoplastic or have thermoplastic coatings, the transverse marginal end portion of the flap being spaced from the container as indicated at 11. The body portion 8 of the cover is of approximately the same shape but somewhat larger than the container A in length and breadth and at the end of the body portion opposite the fold 9 there is another fold 12 in the strip around the edge or end of the container opposite the attaching edge 7, and beyond the fold 12 is a closure flap portion 13 that is of a size and shape to cover the side of the container opposite the body portion 8 of the cover; and the transverse end edge zone of the closure flap is adapted to tuck into the space between the marginal end portion of the container-attaching flap and the container, as best shown in FIGURE 1.

As hereinbefore indicated, the invention resides primarily in the construction of the package with a disclosure sheet or the like initially embodied and enclosed within the package but easily and quickly removable or separable from the package without damage to the package. For the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, the disclosure sheet is shown as a single strip of paper or like material 14 having suitable indicia or printed matter 15 thereon and folded intermediate its length so that in the formation of the package, the strip may be slipped over the edge portion 7 of the container A before the container is sealed in the cover, as shown in FIGURE 3. The edge portion of the container is disposed in the fold 16 of the disclosure sheet and the container and disclosure sheet so assembled are fitted into the cover B as shown in FIGURE 4, whereupon the cover is sealed and preferably crimped in the zone 17 in the manner hereinbefore described, the sealing zones terminating short of the edges of the disclosure sheet so that the disclosure sheet is not sealed in the cover.

Preliminary to sealing the assembled container and disclosure sheet in the cover, the cover is formed with a slit 18 extending longitudinally of the fold 9 and preferably portions of the body 8 of the cover and the containerattaching flap are cut away at 19 to provide thumb notches intermediate the ends of the slit so as to expose a portion of the disclosure sheet adjacent the fold 16 as best shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The slit is of a length somewhat greater than the width of the disclosure sheet so that when it is desired to remove the disclosure sheet, the exposed portion thereof shown in FIGURES l, 4 and 5 is gripped between the thumb and index finger and pulled outwardly through the slit. The disclosure sheet can then be easily examined and thereafter discarded, if desired. Of course, if desired, instead of actually forming a slit 18 in the fold, the portion of the cover at the fold could be scored as indicated at 20 so that a strong pull on the disclosure sheet would tear the cover along the scored line and permit the separation of the disclosure sheet from the package. The use of a scored line instead of a slit would, of course, positively prevent accidental slipping of the disclosure sheet out of the package.

A modification of the invention is shown in FIGURE 7 where the cover C includes a body portion 8a, a containerattaching flap a, and a closure flap 13a, and the cover is provided with a pair of openings 21, portions of which extend through the container-attaching flap while other portions extend into the body of the cover, the two openings being spaced apart longitudinally of the fold 9a to provide a holding web 22 between the openings, which, when the package is assembled as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, overlies the fold of the disclosure sheet to prevent accidental displacement of the disclosure sheet from the cover. The web can be easily torn by inserting the thumb nail or finger nail beneath it, or the web could be scored along the line 23 to facilitate tearing of the web when the disclosure sheet is gripped through either of the openings 21 and pulled outwardly from the cover.

Another modification is shown in FIGURES 10 and 11 where the cover D has a body portion 8b, a containerattaching flap 10b, and a closure flap 13b in general similar to the covers hereinbefore described, but in this cover the thumb notches or openings 19 and 21 are omitted and the body portion 8b has slits 24 and 25, or scored lines 26, or both, outlining portions of the cover that can be torn away to provide thumb notches and an opening for withdrawal of the disclosure sheet upon insertion of the thumb nail or finger nail or an implement into the slits or scored lines.

The modification shown in FIGURES 12 through 14 may be the preferred form of the package for many purposes. The cover E has a body portion 8c that is juxta posed to one side of the container A and is 'folded at 90 around the edge portion of the container to form the container-attaching flap 100 that is secured adjacent the fold to the container A in the same manner as hereinbefore described in zones designated 170, the sealing zones being spaced apart so that the disclosure sheet 14 is not sealed in the cover.

The cover is preliminarily formed with a pull tab 26 projecting from the marginal portion of the containerattaching flap 10c, and the cover has a weakened zone 27, preferably in the form of a scored line extending from opposite sides of the pull tab 26 transversely of the contamer-attaching flap and into the body portion 8c beyond the fold as best shown in FIGURE 12, thus outlining a releasing strip for the disclosure sheet. Also, preferably as shown, a slit 23 is formed in the folds 9c at opposite sides outwardly of the weakened line 27, that is, between the weakened line and the respective end edges of the cover, the outer ends of the slits extending slightly beyond the side edges of the disclosure sheet when the latter is enclosed within the package.

With this construction, it will be seen that in the completed package, the portion of the cover between the slits 28 serves to lock the disclosure sheet in the package as best shown in FIGURE 13, but the disclosure sheet can be easily removed from the package by simply gripping the pull tab 26 between the thumb and index finger and tearing the cover along the weakened line 27 so as to remove the portion of the cover between the slits 28. The portion of the cover that is thus removed, designated 29 in FIGURE 12, provides thumb notches 30 in the body portion 80 and in the container-attaching flap through which the disclosure sheet can be gripped between the thumb and index finger and then pulled outwardly from the package through the opening provided by the slits 28 and the removed portion 29 of the cover, as shown in FIGURE 14.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the slits 28 might be omitted and the weakened lines 27 could be located adjacent the side edges of the disclosure sheet 14, close to the inner ends of the sealing zones 17c, thereby providing a releasing portion for the disclosure sheet of the same Width as the latter.

The invention contemplates disclosure sheets or other similar inserts of various forms, and, of course, the sheet may be a single fiat sheet disposed at only one side of the container instead of the folded sheet down in the drawings.

Other modifications and changest in the construction of the package will occur to those skilled in the art to be within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A package comprising an approximately fiat commodity container enclosed in a cover having a fold therein, an insert comprising a sheet of material disposed be tween said cover and said container with an edge portion in said fold, said cover having a weakened portion adjacent said fold to provide an opening at said fold through which said insert may be gripped and pulled from the package.

2. A package comprising an approximately fiat commodity container, a cover folded around and secured to said container, and an insert comprising a sheet of material disposed between said cover and said container with a portion of the sheet in a fold of the cover, a portion of said cover in said fold and juxtaposed to said insert sheet being displaceable to provide an opening through which said insert can be gripped by the thumb and index finger and pulled from the package.

3. A package as defined in claim 2 wherein said insert has a fold located in said fold of the cover and in which a portion of said container is disposed.

4. A package comprising an approximately fiat commodity container and a cover comprising a strip of flexible material having a fiold providing a body portion with a container-attaching flap, one edge portion of said container being disposed in said fold in juxtaposition to said body portion and positively secured directly to said body portion and to said container-attaching fiap in zones disposed inwardly of said fold and spaced apart along the fold, and a removable insert comprising a sheet of material disposed at one side of said container with one portion located in said fold between said zones and between the container and the cover, said cover having a weakened portion adjacent said fold to provide an opening through which said insert may be gripped between the thumb and index finger and pulled from the package.

5. A package as defined in claim 4 wherein said insert comprises a sheet of fiexible material having a folded portion located in said fold of the cover and in which is disposed said edge pontion of the container.

6. A package as defined in claim 4 wherein said weakened portion of the cover comprises a slit in said fold and a thti'inb notch extending: from said slit inwardly of the portion of the cover between which and the container said insert is displaced.

7. A package as defined in claim 4 wherein said weakened portion of the cover extends from said fold inwardly of the portion of the cover between which and the container the insert is disposed so that a part of the cover canbe torn away along said weakened portion to provide an opening through which the insert can be gripped between the thumb and index finger and pulled from the package.

8. A package comprising an approximately flat commodity container and a cover comprising a strip of flexible material having a fold providing a body portion with a container-attaching flap, one edge portion of said container being disposed in said fold in juxtaposition to said body portion and positively secured directly to said body portion and to said container-attaching flap in zones disposed inwardly of said fold and spaced apart along the fold, and a removable insert comprising a sheet of material disposed at one side of said container with one portion located in said fiold between said zones and between the container and the cover, said cover having weakened lines extending transversely of the container-attaching flap and into the body portion of the cover outlining a releasing portion tearable from the cover to provide an opening through which said insert may be gripped between the thumb and index fingers and pulled from the package.

9. A package as defined in claim 8 wherein said fold of the cover has a slit between said weakened line and the adjacent one of said zones.

10. A package as defined in claim 8 wherein there is a pull tab extending from the edge of said containerattaching flap, and said weakened line extends entirely across the containerattaching flap at opposite sides of 1 said pull tab and into the body portion of the cover.

No references cited. 

1. A PACKAGE COMPRISING AN APPROXIMATELY FLAT COMMODITY CONTAINER ENCLOSED IN A COVER HAVING A FOLD THEREIN, AN INSERT COMPRISING A SHEET OF MATERIAL DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID COVER AND SAID CONTAINER WITH AN EDGE PORTION IN SAID FOLD, SAID COVER HAVING A WEAKENED PORTION ADJACENT SAID FOLD TO PROVIDE AN OPENING AT SAID FOLD THROUGH WHICH SAID INSERT MAY BE GRIPPED AND PULLED FROM THE PACKAGE. 